MasterCard Renews Partnership With UEFA Champions League Until '18

MasterCard has renewed its partnership with the UEFA Champions League for another three seasons until ’18. The extension, which MasterCard officially announced on Wednesday, represents an increase on its previous deal with Europe’s premier club competition, according to a source with knowledge of the terms. “It’s a good healthy increase given the increase in [Champions League] ratings globally,” the source said. This year’s Champions League final had an estimated reach of 400 million viewers and a global TV audience of 180 million, according to UEFA. The source valued the deal in the mid-eight figures annually over its three-year period. The deal is similar to other Champions League partnerships and includes tickets, hospitality and field-level signage. It also includes broadcast sponsorships across Europe and some other parts around the world, the source said. MasterCard will continue to be the official provider of the player escorts that come onto the pitch with the players. It is another asset of the deal that MasterCard leverages by offering it to its cardholders. The partnership between the UEFA Champions League and MasterCard dates back to ’94. The U.S. financial services corporation joins PepsiCo, Heineken, Nissan, Sony, UniCredit and adidas as official partners and suppliers of the UEFA Champions League for the '15-18 rights cycle. The deal was negotiated by TEAM Marketing, UEFA’s commercial partner. The last remaining sponsorship package, rumored to be a renewal with Gazprom, should be announced in the next couple of weeks.